Paraguay red card was not the story in Foxborough; Ismael Saibari was. Morocco beat Scotland 1-0 on Friday at Gillette Stadium, and the match turned almost immediately when Saibari scored after 71 seconds.
The result gave Morocco back-to-back strong group results after last week’s 1-1 draw with Brazil. Scotland arrived having beaten Haiti in its opening match, but that early goal wiped out the cushion and put Morocco in control before Scotland could settle.
Saibari strikes first
Azzedine Ounahi helped set the tone for Morocco’s start, but Saibari finished the move that mattered. His goal came 71 seconds into the match, the kind of opening that changes the tempo for every possession that follows.
Steve Clarke’s side never recovered the ground lost at the start. After the final whistle, Clarke’s reaction was blunt: “I wish we could start again,”
Scotland silenced quickly
The crowd at Gillette Stadium had a strong Scotland presence early, and it was obvious in the way the opening minutes carried sound and expectation. That shifted fast. The early goal left Scotland chasing the game instead of feeding off the occasion.
There was also a quieter moment later in the match. Fans stood for a full minute to pay tribute to Donny Strathie, who was 76 and from Grangemouth in central Scotland. He died Sunday after collapsing in the foyer of the Norwood hotel.
Group C stays open
Morocco’s win, paired with the US victory over Australia, left Group C in motion rather than settled. Morocco now has the 1-1 draw with Brazil and the 1-0 win over Scotland as the opening two results that keep its path alive.
Scotland still has a result to absorb after beating Haiti, and the group shape remains tied to the final third game in group play. The cleanest takeaway from Foxborough is simple: Saibari’s early finish changed the game before Scotland could use its own opening win as a launch point.
